Acceptance is not weak submission. It stems from knowledge, faith and courage.

In a game, we don’t complain when someone rolls a high number with the dice and things don’t go our way. We may have wished for a different outcome but we accept it. Because we understand the rules of the game. And we understand that’s how the dice rolls. It’s the same in life. Our understanding of life builds our acceptance. 

Relationships test us and we are put in difficult situations, having to make choices. Love for the other and keeping the larger good in mind develops acceptance. But external acceptance with inner bitterness and resentment is no acceptance at all. We must accept fully and gracefully.

Like a soldier, we accept our role and perform it with courage in the face of danger and adversities. And our training and discipline prepares us for uncertainties. Deep commitment to our responsibility builds inner resilience and acceptance.

Of course, we must strive to better things. That which can change must not be accepted lying down. But we must know what we can and cannot change. The key is knowing when to accept and knowing when to resist. There is a difference between acceptance with knowledge and acceptance with defeat. Not all acceptance is acceptance.

And when we choose to ignore the laws of life and allow our ego and emotions to drive us, we find ourselves exhausted externally and broken internally. A good boatman realises he cannot row against a fierce wind. He accepts the reality, anchors himself, allows the wind to change and then moves on. His knowledge not his ego guides him.

And there is a natural need to be accepted by others. But let this need not drive us to compromise and go against our true nature. Nor become the source of our security. Bonds of love, trust and friendship build acceptance in spite of differences.

But to be happy, we must learn to accept ourselves. Nobody is perfect. We live with our flaws and fault lines. We must not live in denial. We cannot work on ourselves if we haven’t first accepted ourselves. 

Life keeps sending us an invitation to move beyond ourselves. Accept it.